Meet Me at the JCC
If you ask a cross-section of Jews what they associate with the “JCC,” you may get a variety of answers. That is because the JCC offers a large swath of services to a very large variety…
Tzav 5768-2008
"Never Give Up Hope!" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In the opening verses of this week's parasha, parashat Tzav, we learn the details concerning the priestly responsibilities when offering…
Shelach 5774-2014
“Do Not Follow After the Desires of Your Heart and Eyes” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald While the major theme of parashat Shelach concerns the scouts who return from the Land of Israel with…
Eikev 5780-2020
“The Intermarriage Conundrum” (updated and edited from parashat Eikev 5761-2001) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald The opening verses of this week’s parasha, parashat Eikev, conclude the…
Lech Lecha 5772-2011
“The Two Covenants” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week’s parasha, parashat Lech Lecha, we learn of two covenants, the Covenant Between the Pieces and the Covenant of Circumcision…
The Sino-Jewish Axis
During Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan’s 2010 confirmation hearings, she was asked where she had spent the previous Christmas. With a broad smile, Ms. Kagan responded,…
“That’s All Folks…”
Melvin Jerome Blank, known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices,” was born on May 30, 1908, in San Francisco, CA, to Frederick and Eva Blank. While in high school in Portland, OR, Mel changed…
Remembering a Modern Day Jewish Martyr
“My name is Daniel Pearl. I’m a Jewish American from Encino, CA. My father’s side of the family is Zionist. My mother’s is Jewish. I’m Jewish. My family follows Judaism. We’ve made…
Splitting the Atom
When asked to name a theoretical physicist, the first name to come to many young Americans would be “Sheldon Cooper,” the fictional lead character on the long-running hit show, “Big Bang…
Jews in Christchurch?
When one thinks of the far reaches of the globe, New Zealand should obviously come to mind. What people may not know is that over 6,800 Jews live in New Zealand today, mostly in Auckland…